Avid 'Frasier' fan Guillermo del Toro created 'Trollhunters' character for Kelsey Grammer

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Filmmaker and avid Frasier fan Guillermo del Toro says he created an animated Trollhunters character especially for Kelsey Grammer to play.

"If you see my notebook, the first drawing of Blinky says 'Kelsey Grammer' because I have been a Frasier fan all of my life," del Toro told UPI at a recent round-table interview with reporters at New York Comic-Con.

Asked in a separate chat if the character he laughingly described as a "Renaissance troll" features notes of his most famous alter ego -- snooty psychiatrist Frasier Crane -- Grammer replied: "I don't think so, so much. ...

"Guillermo just told me today that he goes home and he still watches Frasier sometimes when he is done with his work," the actor continued. "So, I thought that was really fun. It was a great show and I'm extremely proud of it. But, in this case, my vocal timbre is deeper and a little bit more declamatory because he is trying to teach this kid."

So, how does Grammer describe Blinky?

"The character is a troll, of course. That's the biggest thing. He has six eyes. That's part of it and several arms, as well. But his role is to be the teacher and to sort of preserve the good in the conflict between good and evil and he is there to teach this young man who has been given this huge obligation to save both worlds -- human and troll. So, it's a big job," he revealed. "He's a really interesting guy to play. He's a lot of fun. He's very, very dramatic. He's very big. He's a bit Ian McKellen-ish, a bit Captain Picard."

Also featuring the vocal talents of Ron Perlman, Steven Yeun, and the late Anton Yelchin, Trollhunters is to debut on Netflix Friday.